tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7137534753622191392024-03-13T11:09:27.999-07:00All About PortalsDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-8824250158836964442015-01-06T13:37:00.002-08:002015-01-06T13:37:37.966-08:00Five Star Review!Liza over at the Multi-Verses of Liza O wrote this review today:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">There is nothing vague in David Englund’s writings. He provides great detail to create a believable situation as to how a small alien force could take over Earth.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Camouflaged Encounters is a brilliant sci-fi that engages the reader from beginning to end.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The author does a great job logically laying out in detail how it could happen—I mean seriously happen—then he combines it with fun portals to other worlds, where the human Clark makes friends with other alien friends. Unfortunately, most of them want nothing to do with the ancient and vicious species who has infested Earth.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">How do you convince the entire human race that aliens who look like humans are taking over Earth by taking over high positions, creating wars and Ebola-like diseases to manipulate the entire world to attack USA. The press has been muzzled and people no longer trust each other.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Can Clark, his on-again girlfriend, an EPA agent, and a reporter save the world and reveal the aliens among us?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">It’s a big task and I'm not going to tell you any more, only that I loved every page of this novel.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I give Camouflaged Encounters 5 stars.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://multiuniversesoflizao.blogspot.com/2015/01/review-of-camouflaged-encounters-by.html</span></span>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-69520137544015842112014-11-20T17:22:00.001-08:002014-11-20T17:22:21.516-08:00BOOK REVIEWThe NDSU SPECTRUM printed a review of CAMOUFLAGED ENCOUNTERS today http://ndsuspectrum.com/ndsu-agribusiness-lecturer-pens-another-novel-in-science-fiction-series/<br />
<br />
(If the page becomes unavailable, the complete review is posted on the page link to the right labeled reviews of CAMOUFLAGED ENCOUNTERS)<br />
<br />
ClarkDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-58761941457737829412014-09-30T17:57:00.003-07:002014-09-30T17:57:50.694-07:00Sample Camouflaged Encounters<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER
ONE</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> “Is
he going to die?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Clark
looked up at the faces searching his eyes for an answer. “I don’t know. I just
don’t know . . .”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">* *
* * *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Present-day
Chicago, four hours earlier ~<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <i>Man</i>, <i>this
is the life! It’s not every day you get to sit in Wrigley Field and watch a
game. Sure, I love traveling to new worlds and meeting new species. Heck,
that’s about as exciting as life can get, but once in awhile it’s nice just to
enjoy the creature comforts of home, especially an all-American baseball game. Yeah,
the Cubs are having another lousy year, but they beat the Cards this afternoon
and now tonight they’re pounding ‘em again. That’s all that matters today– <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> That’s
when it happened. Clark and the other fans were stunned to see the lights go
out in the stadium. The iconic buildings across the street, with stands built
on their roofs, went dark. The tall apartment buildings in the distance went
dark. The entire city of Chicago went dark.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <i>Not here too. Not here! New York is a mess. Sure,
at first when the lights went out there last week everyone acted all helpful
and community-oriented. We heard stories of people taking in stranded travelers
after the airports and trains shut down, and how restaurants and bars
generously handed out free meals. But after four or five days, when
temperatures rose, water and fresh food started getting scarce, then violence
set in. Massive violence. Now the news channels can’t get enough of the
widespread chaos. They keep showing the same images over and over of continuous
fighting and blazing fires.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Then over the weekend, when the
power went out in Philly, violence kicked in right away. It was almost as if
people were waiting for an excuse to cut loose. Now you can’t turn on the TV
without seeing fires and fighting.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Clark
snapped back to the present and impatiently willed his eyes to adjust to the
darkness. A moonless, cloudy sky darkened the night, but soon the stadium
became relatively visible. He stood and surveyed his section. For a brief moment,
no one moved. Several cheers rang out as intoxicated fans joked about not
paying the electric bill. Many seemed to have a mild fascination with the
interruption, especially knowing that the game was being televised nationally. Back
home, this was likely becoming a national news story; the ballgame forced to
pause. Then, a chilling hush fell over the crowd. Gradually, one cluster of
fans after another rose to their feet. Soon, the entire crowd stood, talking in
animated tones, furtively keeping watch, and searching for reassurance in a sea
of uncertainty. Even at half-empty, the normally sold-out stadium held more than
twenty thousand anxious fans. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: orange;">For more, click on the page, Sample from Camouflaged Encounters on the left side of the blog</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-66522121883924192922014-09-24T05:09:00.001-07:002014-09-24T05:09:02.813-07:00CAMOUFLAGED ENCOUNTERSBook Three, CAMOUFLAGED ENCOUNTERS is out! https://amazon.com/dp/B00NUPAPT8Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-70239979160826981722014-06-06T04:13:00.001-07:002014-06-06T04:13:31.203-07:00UNSEASONAL WAR Book TourThere are two cool sites promoting the book for the last day of the tour:<br />
<br />
http://reviewsbycacb.blogspot.com/2014/06/unseasonal-war-by-david-englund-goddess.html<br />
<br />
http://sharinglinksandwisdom.blogspot.com/2014/06/unseasonal-war-blurb-blitz.htmlDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-57929654955302316852014-05-19T15:54:00.000-07:002014-05-31T15:03:19.289-07:00Fargo Forum ArticleThere is a nice article about these novels over at the Fargo Forum today:<br />
<br />
http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/435004/group/variety/<br />
<br />
(The link to this article no longer works on the Fargo Forum site but the article is available in full if you click on the page "Newspaper Articles" on the right side of this blog)Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-23841027785988311132014-04-14T04:54:00.000-07:002014-04-14T04:54:42.248-07:00UNSEASONAL WAR Book Tour UNSEASONAL WAR (Book II) is going on a book tour! Today's stop is at the Wolves Den <br />
<br />
http://our-wolves-den.com/unseasonal-war-david-englund-virtual-book-tour-giveaway/#more-636Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-52827763766331509252014-01-23T15:26:00.000-08:002014-01-23T15:34:56.160-08:00High Plains Reader ArticleHi everyone! There is a nice article about David and these stories in this week's High Plains Reader (Fargo weekly paper) <br />
<br />
http://hpr1.com/feature/article/a_new_dimension_ndsu_lecturer_david_englund_on_story_writing/<br />
<br />
<br />
~ ClarkDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-81380250175541147762013-12-17T18:05:00.000-08:002013-12-17T18:11:19.286-08:00Excerpt at Book SnatchThe folks over at the Book Snatch blog are displaying an excerpt from chapter seven of UNSEASONAL WAR. If you would like another taste of my latest adventure, check it out here <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: '.HelveticaNeueUI'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://booksnatch.blogspot.com/2013/12/saturday-snatch-unseasonal-war-by-david.html?m=1" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://booksnatch.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/2013/12/saturday-<wbr></wbr>snatch-unseasonal-war-by-<wbr></wbr>david.html?m=1</a></span><br />
<br />
~ ClarkDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-33591789696136276422013-11-02T07:45:00.002-07:002013-11-02T07:45:11.386-07:00Sample from Second Book<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">CHAPTER
ONE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
challenge is in choosing a room. Does a
room filled with weapons lead to a world unsafe for travel? If the room contains vast treasure, does that
foretell fellow explorers on the adjoining planet or unsavory thieves? What about boxes filled with alien stuffed
animals? A hasty choice can turn out . .
. unpleasant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Several
rooms still possessed their protective shield covering the doorway, signifying
the dominant species of the corresponding planet had not yet developed to
solving the simple math problem inside.
Still, with hundreds, possibly thousands of rooms to the portal
building, the choices seemed infinite. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Strolling
along the hallway, one room finally caught his attention. It differed from the others in that it was
empty. No boxes, crates or shiny objects. It was as if this species didn’t use the
portal. A clear line of sight through
the portal opening provided a view of sunlight and green, thigh-high
grass. It seemed normal enough for a
quick look-see. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Stepping
through the portal, Clark covered his eyes until they adjusted to the
brightness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Huh. Just one sun.
That’s familiar.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">An
open grass field surrounded him. He lifted his head and sniffed. The smell of pine trees and blackberries
drifted in the air. Clark turned to look
over his shoulder, momentarily forgetting that the portal was invisible from
this side. Yards away rested a dense
wooded area, stretching as far along the horizon as the eye could see. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Standing
at the edge of the forest and vast grassland, Clark wondered at the beauty of
the large green leafy canopy atop black-barked trees, mixed with the poison
ivy-like vegetation that hid the wooded ground.
Peculiarly, all of the vegetation displayed teal-colored streaks or
spots. Even the pear-shaped fruit
hanging from trees and white, heart-shaped flowers growing between the large
leaves, were spotted with shades of teal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">He
then turned and observed the light wind gusts blowing alternating “S” patterns
in the tall grass. As Clark walked, he
held his arms out by his sides feeling the top of the grass stems. Upon closer inspection, the thigh-high grass was
also streaked with teal. He surveyed the
landscape, searching for signs of danger.
Seeing none Clark headed eastward, away from the woods. It didn’t take long to become comfortable in
his surroundings and that made him feel strangely . . . uncomfortable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If I didn’t know
better, I’d say I was on Earth. There’s
always differences, usually major ones, but here, other than the runaway tone
of teal coloring, everything looks similar to home. The color of the sky, plants, trees, the height
of trees, gravity; everything looks and feels very familiar. It even smells like home . . . kinda.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> FOR MORE, CLICK ON PAGE "SAMPLE FROM UNSEASONAL WAR" ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE BLOG</span></i></div>
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-20597066051853891712013-09-20T19:10:00.001-07:002013-09-20T19:10:17.151-07:00UNSEASONAL WAR<div class="MsoNormal">
Book Two
is out! Read more about my adventures
visiting new worlds and meeting new species.
This story is a stand-alone, no need to read the first book. David has worked very hard to improve the
quality of writing over the first book to, you know, make me look good. Go over to Amazon to read the first 2 chapters
for free. Go ahead, check it out! <a href="http://amazon.com/dp/B00F4MHDWM">http://amazon.com/dp/B00F4MHDWM</a>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~ Clark</div>
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-37755713720967858822013-05-06T19:52:00.000-07:002013-05-06T19:52:47.285-07:00Invisible Frustrations<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Okay, this time it was invisibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A planet FULL of invisible people or whatevers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve often thought that I have the natural ability to be invisible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can make a whole room full of people ignore me (remember, I’m an accountant).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this is a new one when everyone else is invisible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were trees and rocks and grass and plenty of nature all around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything else seemed to be visible, just not the species watching me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know what you’re thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do I know anyone was there if I couldn’t see them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, you know how sometimes you get the feeling that you’re being watched?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I had the feeling that I was being watched by hundreds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they weren’t exactly sneaky about it either.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The smell was pretty strong, a combination of mild onion and . . . sausage?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s no way that odor was produced by their nature, no way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides, it faded and got stronger as if people were walking by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, walking, not crawling or slithering by, walking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was certainly a large group of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As if I were so ignorant that I couldn’t tell the difference.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When you get that many people or things together, there’s going to be some noise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, they were quiet alright, just not as quiet as they thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gets a mind wondering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do they have two heads?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two legs?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are they big creatures walking softly to muffle their noises or small entities walking heavily?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Uggh!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why couldn’t they just visit with me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They wouldn’t even acknowledge that I was there. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So I did the most annoying, disturbing thing I could think of to make them watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s right, I did the chicken dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A full five minutes of it too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing is for certain, whoever they are, they’ll never have any desire to visit Earth and observe the rest of us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What would <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> do if a whole roomful of people were ignoring you?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>~ Clark</span></div>
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-353435327000635922012-11-26T22:33:00.000-08:002012-11-26T22:33:50.802-08:00Shranzi ~ Kickball on Steroids<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Okay, so today it was a goofy bunch of aliens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But man, were they fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without a care in the world, all they wanted to do was play games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They certainly weren’t shaken to come face to face with an alien visitor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to admit, they take their games seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not just talking about coming up with clever and strategic games, but also plain having fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got so caught up in the game I completely forgot to learn anything about them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The game we played is called Shranzi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The playing field consists of air currents above a lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somehow, wind tunnels are created in the shape of a football field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If any balls or players go out of bounds, they fall into the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind effect of the field is crazy, like trying to run in a 5 foot deep swimming pool. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The area of the field is about 120 yards long, broken up into eight sections roughly 15 yards long and maybe sixty yards wide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the game starts, each team places members into four rows (sections) of six for a total of 24 players evenly spread out on their side of the field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Players can only advance a row forward if they can kick a ball beyond two rows of opponents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no passing to teammates but players can move around within their section to disguise who will actually kick a ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All six balls are in play at once, adding to the intensity of the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As players move up the field, there are fewer left back to defend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The balls are inflated like our kick balls or dodge balls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If any of them go out of bounds play pauses until all six are back in action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A score involves kicking a ball into the opponent’s tunnel (5 yards wide) that sucks the ball into and up a tube that pushes the ball back into mid field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first team to 127 wins.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As amazing of a game as it was, they said that it wasn’t even their best game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were tired of Gloretont, bvemont, and latpoj so we played this one for a change of pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, I didn’t learn much about them but it’s nice to know that I’m welcome back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ Clark</span></div>
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-70732135110664003172012-09-10T22:53:00.002-07:002012-09-10T22:53:37.571-07:00Starfish Questions<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I met an interesting species today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think orange three-legged starfish crossed with overgrown worms and you’d have a picture that’s close to how they looked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These aliens were each the size of a raccoon with the curiosity of a five-year old child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I barely learned a thing about them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent almost the entire three hours answering their questions. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not complaining though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were super friendly and I actually learned quite a bit just from their questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s nice too to know that I’m welcome back without the fear of being somebody’s lunch.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Their questions started out simple enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you might imagine, they wanted to know what these things on our face are for, what possible purpose could ears and noses serve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do our bodies transfer energy to each other, to the collective whole of our species?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were baffled as to how we manage to allow things to seep into our skin with such small pores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then there was the one about why don’t we fly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then the questions delved into our relations with each other on Earth and how our societies are organized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to say though; they were much more interested in how we travel through the stars, what alliances we have with other planets and how we trade (products and energy) with other species.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, they were disappointed to find out that these things only happen in our fiction.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eventually, the questions ventured into a more philosophical nature such as do we know how life throughout the universe is connected to everything else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the purpose to it all?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What role do we each play in the overall scheme of the universe and do we still fulfill that purpose if we don’t know what our role is meant to be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How does trivpet (translation = karma?) transfer from our treatment of inanimate objects to how we treat each other?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There were a lot more questions that followed those, but you get the idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, it was an interesting, albeit exhausting day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As always though, it was well worth the trip. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ Clark <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-33368191363902735172012-07-02T23:17:00.002-07:002012-07-02T23:17:56.482-07:00Swenns Again<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This week I decided to visit some friends of mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure you remember the Swenns, or as I call them, the Marshmallow people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still found it difficult to carry on a conversation in my head with telepathic people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like I have to shout in my head to be heard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gives me a headache after a while, and probably is no picnic for them either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I learned a few new things about them today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have such control over their telekinetic powers that they even float in the air when they’re sleeping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How cool is that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There isn’t much of a need for a kitchen table when you can float everything you need in midair right in front of you or for a sofa when you don’t use it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t quite as easy for me as it is for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt like I was on the moon fumbling around trying to reach for things right in front of my face. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>You know me; I’m always full of questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, they weren’t comfortable answering quite a few of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interestingly enough, they answered my question on religion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As best as I can explain it, they aren’t religious in the sense that we are on Earth but they are extremely spiritual, if that makes sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t have any one deity or a group either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was informed that they worship (acknowledge?) the entire universe, or maybe it was everything that is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had trouble grasping their exact meaning. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They also have some sports that they play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Theses would be the equivalent of games like kickball and old Maid (evidently, no Texas Hold’em).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The games they play pretty much include everyone, so there aren’t any high-priced athletes or prima donnas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, no fantasy football either.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My question about holidays was answered too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have them, but, as with everything else theirs are a little different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Swenns celebrate important dates to their species as opposed to specific people or religious dates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, the day the first of their species was created and the day world peace was achieved are celebrated (in a fashion).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t ask me what part of the year these days fall on or what a year is to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was thoroughly lost by this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ll let you know what else I learn on future trips.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>~ Clark</span></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-79218615832135674532012-06-11T21:59:00.001-07:002012-06-11T22:00:33.743-07:00Award!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This blog recently won its first award!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you so much to CaptainSciFi for the Kreativ Blogger Award!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I have the privilege of awarding it to another blogger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would like to present the award to http://www.claudetteannepearson.com/ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for her poetry (GiGGLE-ITIS is one of my favorites).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">According to the rules, I now need to provide seven facts about myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So here are seven of my favorite things:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Favorite Alien: The Tinkerer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s my buddy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Favorite Season: Fall on the Swenn’s planet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing beats the colors in Trabalm trees.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Favorite Status: Alive.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Favorite Beer: Frask Light Ale on Tr’zez’s world (I certainly hope that was beer).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Favorite Gender: Human Women.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Favorite Look: The new Straluk Spring line is attractive (if you don’t mind tentacles). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Favorite Football Team: The Vikings (of Earth’s Minnesota).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ Clark</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-35352281518672360232012-05-21T22:45:00.002-07:002012-05-21T22:45:29.993-07:00Blue Creatures<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I met the strangest species yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use the term “met” loosely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These creatures were little blue things that looked like a cross between a blue lizard and a dinosaur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were busy, busy, busy, doing something that involved burrowing in the ground, plowing fields or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was fascinated by their odd appearance, organization, focus, teamwork, everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted so badly to talk to them and learn everything I could from them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Evidently, they only wanted to be left alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I managed to do was annoy and aggravate them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some diplomat I turned out to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But come on, there I was, a real-live alien, standing right in front of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Weren’t they curious?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even just a little bit?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where does he come from?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is he like?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His people, culture, society, politics?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do they have schools, art, technology, football?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does he watch Gilligan’s Island?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Star Trek or Star Wars?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can this species not be even the slightest curious about any aspect of another species?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well, on to the next planet.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ Clark</span></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-68164998582632861292012-04-30T16:35:00.000-07:002012-04-30T16:35:32.714-07:00Swenns<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I met the coolest species yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These guys floated off the ground using their minds!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They even picked me up and allowed me to float along with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a little unsettling to hear their voices in my head, but it was worth it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think all of them could hear my thoughts but they controlled themselves so that I could only hear one person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except for the little ones, I think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Occasionally, I heard giggling in my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, they do everything with their minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their homes, cities, everything floats in the air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They call themselves Swenns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I call them the Marshmallow people because they have big yellow square bodies with no face or arms or legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Diplomat that I am, questions kept popping into my head that I wanted to ask but didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked the usual questions about culture, society, and history and all that but what I really wanted to know was how can you eat or smell with no faces?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought those might be offensive to ask but how do you keep from having thoughts?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously, how can you possibly keep from thinking about things?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure they heard every stray thought I had and are wondering what the heck baseball and pretty girls have to do with exploring.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And then the harder you try not to have stupid thoughts, the quicker they jump into your head right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It started with thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just hope I don’t wet myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can they possibly reproduce when they have bodies like big square Marshmallows?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh no, did I just think that out loud?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon, it was movie images.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The harder I tried to clear my mind, the more scenes from slasher movies and war movies popped into my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some ambassador I turned out to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t believe they invited me back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knows, maybe they have a sense of humor. </span></div><span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>~ Clark</span>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-31877190186756519982012-04-16T20:15:00.000-07:002012-04-16T20:15:19.711-07:00Runner<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Exploring whole new worlds and experiencing new and different cultures can be challenging at times because, well, it is new and different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find that the real challenges though come out on the road, running path, whatever you want to call it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Everything hurts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I can think about it, it hurts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can I run another quarter mile, half mile, mile, another step?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One step becomes three and three steps become . . . I don’t know . . . a bunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And another bunch becomes another bunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s it, just dooon’t think about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One, two, one two, just keep going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon, a landmark appears, a mile marker of sorts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realize I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have</i> gone another mile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I could do that mile, I can certainly do the next one and the one after that and . . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, let’s not get carried away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just do this next bunch of steps.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I fancy myself an accountant, an explorer, maybe even a bit of a writer, but I choose the title runner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, why would I put myself through this if I didn’t love some aspect of it??</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>~ Clark</span></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-63433999281646894282012-04-09T15:38:00.000-07:002012-04-09T15:38:30.290-07:00What Would You Do?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In all of my travels to other worlds, none of the species encountered have seemed surprised to see me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many have been annoyed, but no one seems to be surprised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suppose these other worlds have greeted many travelers through the portal for some time now, whereas, since I only recently opened our portal we have not had the pleasure of embracing visitors through it as of yet.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This begs the question, what would you do if an alien suddenly appeared in your back yard?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now think about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would you <em>really</em> do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would your answer change if it was big, green, and ugly?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if it was only three feet tall with soft eyes?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Would you run away, call the police or military or favorite palm reader; or approach it (with or without a frying pan in hand)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you approached the entity, would you attempt communication, ask it questions?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would you dare to answer their questions?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a blood sample from it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can only imagine so many options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are your ideas?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m curious to find out if a person’s answer would change depending on their upbringing, education, environment, career, religion . . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ Clark</span></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-44338754769877054102012-04-02T15:19:00.000-07:002012-04-02T15:19:01.893-07:00Forget Something?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Typically, when I take a trip I have a tendency to forget my swimsuit or favorite toothpaste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No problem, just find the nearest Wal-Mart for a cheap solution to the problem (I now own five swimsuits).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, now that I have begun traveling between planets the dire gravity of misplacing any number of essentials rises to a new level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With each new adventure I take the list of things I need to remember grows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far, my experiences have contributed to the following list of items I need/ wish for:</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">ü<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Good running shoes (who knows what will be chasing me by the end of the day?)</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">ü<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A flashlight and glow sticks (I never know how long the sun will be up on any planet)</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">ü<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A compass (as if that would help)</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">ü<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A map (ha!)</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">ü<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My translator/ personal shield ~ I have to choose one at a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not always an easy choice.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">ü<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sweet snacks (peace offering?)</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">ü<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My digital camera with pictures of Earth saved on it</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">ü<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ray gun (of course!)</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">ü<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A lighter/ matches</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">ü<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pen & notepad</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">ü<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sunscreen (1000 proof)</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">ü<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The universal manual on alien etiquette</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 19.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s the last item that I really wish someone would give me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could anyone even imagine that you have to pat your tummy when complimenting a Fre-ank or lay on the ground to address a Spaorn Monk?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Live and learn, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll keep you posted and try to add to this list from time to time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 19.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ Clark</span></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-23282345602032982872012-03-05T17:32:00.002-08:002012-03-05T17:32:38.494-08:00Tr'zez Politics<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Did you miss me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I get caught up in a good story, I become completely engrossed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not even the allure of strange new planets can distract me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just finished <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</i> trilogy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whew, did he ever do a masterful job crafting a story together.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Anyway, it’s that time again, when it seems that all we hear about is politics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was able to spend some time on Tr’zez’s planet gaining insight into another political system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was somewhat surprised at what I found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To know Tr’zez, one might guess that they would just kill each other until a winner emerged and then that was the leader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the contrary, they actually have a well-thought out system.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The lovely Lanei explained it to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each village has its own local leader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every mrgal, (year?) interested candidates pledge their intentions to become the village gslkl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The eldest in the village asks each candidate a series of questions that has to do with the welfare of the village and how the said candidate would handle issues that could arise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A board is formed containing the next eldest, the youngest person to have slain a vrgil beast, and a person determined to be the median person in age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This board then judges the candidates according to their answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The village gslkl is chosen based on their intentions to look out for the welfare of the village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each board member chooses their favorite candidate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If only one or two candidates are chosen, the winner is obvious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If each board member chooses a different candidate, then the elder chooses the winner of the three remaining candidates.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The village gslkl then rules for the mrgal with an authoritative hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If someone in the village were to disagree with a decision the gslkl makes during the mrgal, that individual can call for a meeting of the board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To overrule the decision three of the four board members (the eldest becomes a member after the election) must rule in favor of the citizen to overturn it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I haven’t witnessed the process nor met the village gslkl myself yet, so I have no idea how well the process actually works in practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It certainly does sound civilized though for a village that includes Tr’zez.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>~ Clark </span></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-41804719876673796062012-02-20T21:00:00.002-08:002012-02-20T21:00:14.370-08:00Ants<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>You’re not going to believe who I talked to today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ants!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not making this up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ants!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re a touch larger than our Earth version, but other than that, they’re just like ours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On their planet though, they’re the dominant species.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least, that’s what I was told.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Talking to their diplomat gave me feelings of guilt and selfishness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Evidently, in their society every single thing they do is for the community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No individual expression, no individual rights, or time for self, just community, community, community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He couldn’t begin to fathom the things I told him about our societies on Earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He thought it was silly to have artists and musicians who express their individual inspirations and wasteful for so many of us to live in homes by ourselves and actually choose our own jobs according to what we like to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a diplomat, he really looked down on me and our civilization, but that’s okay, I got to meet another species!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I certainly couldn’t live his life, but I have to admit I was extremely impressed with what I could see of their handiwork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They build magnificent cities that are breath-taking and completely symmetrical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s no crime (or you get fed to the jreffs, which still serves society since you help keep the primary food source alive), poverty, war, hunger, none of the problems that we deal with so frequently.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They’re so small they usually go unnoticed as they travel through the portal to other worlds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ants find it easy to hide from the indigenous species on the planet and watch, learn, and occasionally sneak a useful object away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They constantly have to be on the lookout for little critters that want to make a meal of them but the ant people have shield technology also, so they’re usually safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then they use the technology acquired over the years to protect themselves from large predators at home.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Talking to them got me thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone had to have gone to considerable effort to set up this whole portal system at one time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearly every planet that I’ve been to, and that the ant people have been to, have intelligent life on them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, did the portal builders put these portals out there to allow various species to explore and meet each other?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we all supposed to move toward some common goal together?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or perhaps it was a selfish move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe the builders just wanted a way to get around the universe themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They thought it would be cool to have instantaneous travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or it could be that they needed a trade route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or maybe they were trying to outrun some evil empire that was still traveling by spaceships at the time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The more answers I discover about the portal system and the universe, the more questions arise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But again, that’s okay, I talked to ants!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>~ Clark <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-53578793468880414912012-02-13T21:04:00.000-08:002012-02-13T21:04:42.868-08:00V<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I was hoping to report on what romance might be like for other species I’ve met on my travels by now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I haven’t visited too many worlds yet and I haven’t witnessed any amorous relationships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least, not that I could tell.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So instead, I’ll ask a question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What kind of valentine are you??<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Do you look forward to the day in anticipation of the intimate time you’ll get to share with your special someone?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or do you stress about finding the right gift(s) and providing the ideal date night for your valentine?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you think Valentine’s Day is overrated and it’s more important to treat him/her nicely every day than to emphasize a special day?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or are you going out with the boys/girls to celebrate singledom and wish for a valentine?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Well, don’t fret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all have valentines come into our lives at some point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And don’t stress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you act from the heart you’ll do just fine.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, have a wonderful Valentine’s Day because everyone needs a little love in their heart.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>~ Clark</span></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713753475362219139.post-21574897431277077082012-02-06T15:01:00.000-08:002012-02-06T15:01:06.840-08:00Tinkerer Address<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have read the book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Upsetting the Tides</i>, then you know who I am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the remainder of you, the people of the universe call me the Tinkerer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My, ahem, “buddy”, Clark thought it would be entertaining to address you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Why are you Earthlings so obsessed with communication?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do you accomplish to achieve anything in a day while conversing incessantly?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And another issue, could you move any quicker?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You people have no place to be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have witnessed groncers that have more ambition than your species.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ah, forgive me, I digress.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The purpose of my address is to caution you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your race truly believes to be prepared to explore the universe, proceed extremely carefully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not an obstacle course to stumble through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Space is a wondrous tapestry filled with unique phenomenon, some of which happen to involve inhabited planets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of these civilizations are fragile ones that can be easily contaminated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others are far more advanced than yourselves and would quickly do you harm.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That is all I have to confer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you desire more entertainment, you may wish to read one of Clark’s posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly, he profoundly deliberates on his thoughts about many topics.</span></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947433373473601518noreply@blogger.com4